This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Light-weight polymeric components, such as reinforced composite materials, have been considered for use as structural and load-carrying components in vehicles. Many of such polymeric materials are manufactured by compression molding. However, conventional polymeric composite materials, including those that are compression molded, have not exhibited the necessary robustness for extensive long-term use as structural or load-carrying vehicle components. Such polymeric composite materials tend to have limited ductility (e.g., increased brittleness) as compared to other conventional materials, like metals, and therefore polymeric composites exhibit lower impact resistance. Improved composite materials having increased impact resistance and toughness for vehicle, construction, aeronautics, and other applications would be highly desirable to improve long-term durability of such structures for both load-bearing and non-load bearing applications, while reducing weight, reducing fuel consumption for transportation, facilitating handling, and increasing design and flexibility, among others.